Del Toro is keeping the exact details under wraps for now, but we do know via Deadline that it’s a set-orientated, classical and yet modern take on the ghost story. “It will allow me to play with the conventions of the genre I know and love, and at the same time subvert the old rules,” says GDT.

He’s planning to use it to channel some of his favourites from the genre. “To me that is Robert Wise’s The Haunting, which was a big movie, beautifully directed, with the house built magnificently. And the other grand daddy is Jack Clayton’s The Innocents. I’ve always tried to make big-sized horror movies like the ones I grew up watching. I think people are getting used to horror subjects done as found footage or B-value budgets. I wanted this to feel like a throwback.”

Legendary, which worked with Del Toro on Pacific Rim, is offering a hefty budget to bring this latest dream project – or should it be nightmare? – to life. It began life years ago as a spec script del Toro wrote with regular collaborator Matthew Robbins and sold to Universal shortly after Pan’s Labyrinth. He’d wanted to make it, but other projects, including Hellboy II and his time in New Zealand developing The Hobbit, got in the way. He then thought he’d step aside and let someone else direct Crimson Peak, but didn’t find anyone he liked. So with Universal’s blessing, he’s moved it to Legendary, which is, apparently, also considering taking on At The Mountains Of Madness. Yes! You heard us correctly! His Lovecraftian tale could still happen!

As for when this will slot into his busy schedule, Del Toro currently plans to finish up Pacific Rim, and then turn his attention to making the pilot for the TV series based on his Strain novels. After that, Crimson Peak will get its turn. Del Toro is currently re-writing the Peak screenplay with Lucinda Coxon, who adapted The Crimson Petal And The White for the Beeb.

Wasn't Del Toro supposed to be working on a Disney Haunted Mansion film? If this is another one of his originals, I can't wait. If this is a success, it may push Mountains back into production which is also promising. While he's working on Pinnochio and Frankenstein projects and he would certainly be the most interesting filmmaker taking on both stories, there's a lot of different takes of those clambering into production and it's not likely he'll get in first. More